The present invention relates to the structure of a cassette storing case that houses, for example, a magnetic tape cassette (also called a magnetic tape cartridge) in which a single reel with magnetic tape wound thereon is rotatably housed within a cassette case.
A magnetic tape cassette in which a single reel with magnetic tape wound thereon is rotatably housed in a flat cassette case having a generally square flat form, and a disk cassette in which a disk is rotatably housed in a flat cassette case having a generally square flat form, have recently been used to back up data stored on memory for computers.
These cassettes vary in form, depending on manufacturers. However, a wide variety of cassettes with similar outside dimensions are manufactured to provide for interchangeability between library units of different manufacturers. There are cases where cassettes of different types are archived or used together. For example, an LTO cassette and a DLT cassette are used in approximately the same applications. The LTO cassette and the DLT cassette are approximately the same in width, but the LTO cassette is smaller in inserting-direction length and height than the DLT cassette.
These cassettes are usually housed in their dedicated cassette storing cases when not being used, such as when being conveyed, when being archived, etc. In addition, the cassette is provided with a recording member, such as a bar code label, a memory chip, etc., for identifying the recorded contents. The cassette is housed in the cassette storing case in a fixed direction so that the recording member, such as a bar code, etc., can be read out even in the housed state.
Furthermore, the cassette and the cassette storing case are generally provided with a structure for regulating positional shift when stacked, in order to enable transfer, transportation, and conveyance when stacked. For instance, the cassette is provided on the bottom surface with protrusions and the cassette storing case is provided on the top surface with recesses. When they are stacked, the protrusions are fitted into the recesses to regulate positional shift between them.
Hence, most of the cassettes are similar in longitudinal and transverse dimensions, and it is troublesome to identify the longitudinal and transverse lengths of a cassette and house the cassette into a housing case in a fixed direction. Because of this, there is a problem that housing of a cassette in an incorrect direction will disable reading of the aforementioned recording member.
To prevent housing of a cassette in an incorrect direction, it is possible to provide protrusions, such as reverse-insertion preventing ribs, etc., in a cassette storing case so that when inserted in an incorrect direction, the cassette is projected by the protrusions and thus the lid of the housing case is not closed. However, there will be a fear of a cassette being damaged, if the user closes the lid forcibly without being aware of an error in the housing direction. Furthermore, if cassettes of different kinds, slightly different in outside dimensions but similar in form, are used together, it will become difficult to identify a dedicated cassette storing case corresponding to each cassette. Thus, there will also be a fear that (1) a cassette will be housed in an incorrect housing case, (2) a cassette or a housing case will be damaged, and (3) archiving will be confused.
The present invention has been made in view of the points mentioned above. Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a cassette storing case which is capable of preventing a cassette from being housed in an incorrect direction and easily identifying a dedicated cassette storing case corresponding to a cassette, while assuring the function of preventing positional shift that would be caused during stacking.
In cases where different cassette storing cases are manufactured for housing two kinds of magnetic tape cassettes (also called magnetic tape cartridges), identifying the correspondence between a cassette and a cassette storing case to house each cassette into a dedicated housing case is troublesome and reduces operability.
That is, in the case where the same user frequently uses two kinds of cassettes at the same place and archives them in the same library unit, the fear of damage to the cassette and the housing case and confusion in archiving will arise if the cassette is forcibly housed in an incorrect housing case.
Hence, it is preferable to house two kinds of cassettes in the same cassette storing case. In this case, the housing case is formed in to a dimension that can house the larger cassette. For this reason, if the smaller cassette is housed in the housing case, there will arise a fear that (1) the smaller cassette will tend to move easily, (2) the cassette and the housing case will rub against each other because of vibration during conveyance, and (3) etching will occur. Thus, it is necessary to house the smaller cassette so that it is not moved within the housing case. In addition, it is desirable to prevent the cassette from being housed in the cassette storing case in an incorrect direction and desirable not to disable reading of the aforementioned recording member. Furthermore, it is necessary that the existing cassettes be housed without changing the form of the cassettes solely for the purpose of housing the cassettes in the aforementioned cassette storing case.
The present invention has been made in view of the points mentioned above. Accordingly, it is a second object of the present invention to provide a cassette storing case which is capable of housing two kinds of cassettes without moving them in the interior.
To achieve the first object of the present invention mentioned above, there is provided a first cassette storing case for housing a cassette which has longitudinal and transverse dimensions similar to each other, including:
an indicating portion provided on a top surface of the housing case, the indicating portion having a protrusion-and-recess pattern, similar to a design on the cassette, which indicates a housing direction; and
a stopper portion, provided on a bottom surface of the housing case, for engaging with part of the indicating portion to regulate positional shift when housing cases are stacked with each other.
To achieve the aforementioned first object, there is provided a second cassette storing case for housing a cassette, having longitudinal and transverse dimensions similar to each other, and provided with a protrusion and a recess on top and bottom surfaces thereof for regulating positional shift when cassettes are stacked with each other, the cassette storing case including:
an indicating portion provided on a top surface of the housing case, the indicating portion having a protrusion-and-recess pattern, similar to a design on the cassette, which indicates a housing direction; and
a protrusion and a recess, provided on the top and bottom surfaces of the housing case at positions corresponding to the protrusion and recess of the cassette, for engaging with the protrusion and recess of the cassette to regulate positional shift when the cassette or housing cases are stacked.
In the first and second cassette storing cases, the top surface of the housing case is provided with the indicating portion having a protrusion-and-recess pattern, similar to a design on the cassette, which indicates a housing direction. With the indicating portion, these cassette storing cases have the following advantages: the corresponding relationship between the cassette storing case and a cassette to be housed can be easily identified at a glance; the cassette housing direction can also be easily recognized; housing of a cassette in an incorrect direction can be prevented even when it has longitudinal and transverse dimensions close to each other; and the cassette storing cases also have the function of preventing positional shift that would be caused during stacking.
In addition, the first cassette storing case includes a stopper portion, provided on the bottom surface of the housing case, for engaging with part of the indicating portion to regulate positional shift when housing cases are stacked with each other. In this case, the cassette storing case can be made structurally simpler, because the indicating portion can also be used for preventing positional shift.
The second cassette storing case includes a protrusion and a recess, provided on the top and bottom surfaces of the housing case at positions corresponding to the protrusion and recess of the cassette, for engaging with the protrusion and recess of the cassette. In this case, positional shift can be regulated when the cassette or housing cases are stacked. Positional shift can also be regulated when the cassette is placed on the housing case for the purpose of display.
To achieve the second object of the present invention mentioned above, there is provided a third cassette storing case for housing first and second cassettes which are nearly the same in width but different in inserting-direction length and height, the cassette storing case including:
a protrusion, provided on a rear wall surface of the housing case, which has an abutting end face engageable with a front surface of the first cassette smaller in inserting-direction length and an abutting bottom face engageable with a top surface of the first cassette lower in height;
where in the protrusion is inserted into a recess, formed in a front surface of the second cassette greater in inserting-direction length and height, so that it does not interfere with the second cassette.
In the third cassette storing case, the abutting bottom surface of the protrusion may abut the top surface of a stepped portion of the first cassette. In this case, the stepped portion is used for preventing insertion in an incorrect direction. It is preferable to provide the abutting end face and the abutting bottom face in the same protrusion, because the number of protrusions can then be reduced.
According to the third cassette storing case for achieving the second object of the present invention mentioned above, the rear wall surface of the housing case is provided with a protrusion having a length equivalent to a difference in inserting-direction length between the first and second cassettes. The protrusion has an abutting end face engageable with the front surface of the first cassette smaller in inserting-direction length and an abutting bottom face engageable with the top surface of the first cassette lower in height. Therefore, when housing the first cassette into the housing case, movement of the first cassette in the inserting direction and vertical direction can be regulated by the aforementioned protrusion. When housing the second cassette into the housing case, the protrusion is inserted in the recess formed in the front surface of the second cassette greater in inserting-direction length and height, and does not interfere with the second cassette. Therefore, the second cassette can be housed without being moved, regardless of the aforementioned protrusion. Thus, two kinds of cassettes, which are nearly the same in width but different in inserting-direction length and height, can be housed in a common cassette storing case. For this reason, the third cassette storing case has the following advantages: it is unnecessary to identify a dedicated housing case; handing becomes satisfactory and operability is enhanced; and interchangeability between library units can be assured.
Furthermore, in the case where the first or second cassette is housed in an incorrect direction, the aforementioned protrusion interferes with the cassette and disables the housing of the cassette into the housing case. Thus, housing in an incorrect direction can be prevented and the cassette can be housed within a library unit in a fixed direction.